Man charged with DUI after driving down median, destroying road signs

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Juan Landaverde Nino, 22, was arrested early yesterday morning after a witness who found him passed out in his car on the median of NW 13th Street called law enforcement. After the witness woke him up, Landaverde Nino allegedly drove about 150 yards in the median, destroying three road signs.

At about 3:20 a.m. on December 17, law enforcement received multiple calls about a driver who seemed to be impaired. One witness reported seeing a car in the center median with its engine running and the driver slumped over the wheel. The witness walked over to check on the driver, woke him up, and told him he should park the car. The witness reported that the driver then drove north in the median for about 150 yards before re-entering the roadway, destroying three road signs. Witnesses who called 911 described the driver as a young Hispanic man in a dark blue car with vomit on his lap and down the side of the car.

After pulling over the driver, a police officer found that the driver did not speak English, so a Spanish-speaking officer was dispatched to translate. While waiting, the officer observed that the driver appeared to be impaired and smelled like alcohol and vomit.

The driver, identified as Landaverde Nino from his passport, performed poorly on field sobriety tests, and the breath tests yielded 0.174g/210L and 0.178g/210L. The legal limit is 0.08g/210L.

Landaverde Nino was charged with DUI, DUI damage to property, driving without a valid driver’s license, and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to property. He is being held on $30,000 bond.